2 Chronicles 9: 11 And the king made of the algum trees terraces to the house of the Lord, and to the king’s palace, and harps and psalteries for singers: and there were none such seen before in the land of Judah. (KJV)

Once again, my verse needs to have context given to it. So, Solomon, the Queen of Sheba, algum wood, presents, and a lot of wealth find their way into this study. For me personally, I have had mixed feelings about Solomon, and taking time to muse on Chapter 9 has given me some answers. 

Algum Wood – Like some plant and animal species, mentioned in the Bible, we don’t have an exact modern match for this wood. It is believed to be either juniper or sandalwood. This wood apparently did not come with the Queen but was brought by Hiram and Solomon’s men (sailors). Either of the two species would have the properties required for what was made.

Yes, there are varied opinions on the “terraces”. Some feel they may have been handrails and not the treads of the steps.

Chapter 9 is devoted to the Queen of Sheba and Solomon’s personal wealth and accomplishments. Chapter 8 highlights the work done on the Temple. 9:10 and 11 being written and placed here make sense if those terraces and instruments impressed the queen.     

The Queen of Sheba – The opinions, myths, legends, and naughty movies abound for the woman and Solomon. Jesus refers to the Queen of the South (south wind) in Luke 11:31 and Matthew 12:42; these refer to her coming to hear the wisdom of Solomon. If you continue this part of the study, please know we do not know who she was. There are records of powerful queens in the Yemen/Oman area from the period and powerful queens from the Ethiopia region of Africa that could have staged such a trip to visit Solomon.

Three opinions I will mention are:

1. Song of Songs may have been written in the Queen’s honor. The winds in 4:16 could refer to her and Solomon, she would be the south wind. In 1:5 and 6 she refers to her dark skin color. Either of these would place her from the two target areas.
2. The gifts she brought seem to reflect the ones the Wisemen brought to Jesus. 1Kings 10:10
3. The eunuch in Acts 8:27 is from Ethiopia. I believe that there has been a Jewish presence in that area that started in the time of Solomon. The event with Philip seems to have started a Christian “church” in the area; that is still there today.

Solomon – In Sunday School class, as a child, we learned of his wisdom, wealth, and God’s love for him. I remember pastors talking about the building of the First Temple and comparing it to the modern church. So, as a young believer in Jesus, I thought he was an acceptable role model. Then the reality of what his riches did to him set in;1,000 wives, not denying himself of any worldly pleasure, and following the gods of the peoples around Israel. The ones mentioned in 1 Kings 11: 5-8 would have required child sacrifice. He did not follow after his father David or the God who had revealed Himself to him. Maybe you can see my dilemma, keep the “first” Solomon (child of David), condemn the “second” Solomon (child of the world), or just throw him all away.

I am glad that the Father gives wisdom if your heart is open to Him. I will not be assigning any messianic qualities to him as David’s son but he is/was the living example of other people and groups in the Bible and beyond the pages of Scripture.

1. All of the other kings of Judah reflect their grandfather Solomon; some were wholehearted in following their God, and some followed the second Solomon and went further off course than he did. The people followed their kings and priests, some held to the Lord but many followed the people around them.
2. I can see the Seven Churches in the Book of Revelations as a reflection of Solomon. I have been studying Ephesians and Jesus called them to return to their first love. There is no doubt that God sent prophets to Solomon so he would return to his first love.
3. This is being said with a fair amount of embarrassment. The Church has followed in Solomon’s footsteps since Constantine. (Please note that I did not call out any denomination.) In these troubling days, people who acknowledge Jesus as Lord need to return to their first love. Leave Left or Right and Woke to the world and find Jesus.

Solomon is complex, just like those groups I see reflected in him. I put all of that aside to recognize that he is an influence in our Bible. Several Books were penned by him and Jesus uses him in His teaching and parables. We do not know much about his early life, but I would bet it was filled with condescending looks and mean whispers from Jerusalem because of his mother. He also had a front-row seat to a lot of drama because of his older brothers.

2 Samuel 12, 1 Chronicles 28 and 29, 1 Kings, and 2 Chronicles all tell pieces of his story. His legacy, the Temple, certainly outlived him.

This is not a highlight telling of his life, but what may have occurred after the Temple was built. The Temple and his palace took half of his reign as king (20 years).

• 2 Samuel 12:24 tells of his birth and that David and Bathsheba named him Solomon, but God gave him Jedidiah.
• 1 Kings 10:14 is his yearly income, 666 talents of gold (possibly 25 tons).
• 1 Kings 11: 6-11 relates part of the evil Solomon did and what God did to him and the kingdom.

Ecclesiastes may have been his opus at the end of his life. Hopefully, 12:13-14 reflects a heart change in his life.